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First Tuesday Book Club: Savouring 'The Magic Pudding'

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Presenter Jennifer Byrne and guests on panel
First Tuesday Book Club: Savouring 'The Magic Pudding'

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  7–8, 9–10


It's been nearly 100 years since Norman Lindsay's madcap tale of a bad-tempered pudding was published, yet it continues to remain popular with children and adults alike.

Over the years it's been a puppet show, cartoon, play, film and even an opera. What are the reasons for its enduring popularity? Explore the real magic of 'The Magic Pudding' in this lively discussion.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What was your favourite book as a child? How do you feel about that book now? Have you put it to one side or do you still love it?
  2. 2.How did Norman Lindsay come to write 'The Magic Pudding'? Why did he choose to write about food? How old was Judy Nunn when she first read the book? How does she feel about it as an adult? List four things the panellists love about the book. What plot structure does Marieke Hardy (second from the left) say that the book has? What do you think is meant by it having 'an element of pantomime'?
  3. 3.What does this discussion suggest about the interests of child readers? Why do you think the adults in the clip are still so passionate about 'The Magic Pudding'?
  4. 4.The Magic Pudding' is frequently listed as a classic of Australian children's literature. Investigate a range of other children's books that are considered classics. Do they have similar features that might explain their enduring popularity? Compare these classics with contemporary children's literature. Do you think child readers' tastes have changed or do you see any shared features?



Date of broadcast: 4 Dec 2012


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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